Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (PS3)

 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is the second installment in the Force Unleashed series by LucasArts. I tried playing the first game, but I just couldn’t get into it. There were parts in the game that made it frustrating and after coming across several of those, I simply put the game down and walked away and I haven’t been back since. The sequel, however, is much easier much more enjoyable. However, both games have received mixed reviews (71 and 64, respectively) and nothing I have seen in either game moves me to disagree. Indeed, the sequel is just too short to really get into it or justify the $65 retail price.

The basic story is that Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice who died at the end of the first game, comes back as a clone. In the opening moments of the game, Darth Vader deems him a failed experiment, but rather than allow Vader to kill him, Starkiller jumps out of a window and the game begins. The major driving force in the game is to Starkiller’s drive to reunite with Juno Eclipse, the female main character in the series. The basic concept of the game is that of a futuristic God of War clone set in the Star Wars universe, just like the first Force Unleashed (i.e., an action game). Unlike God of War though, Force Unleashed just keeps missing the mark.

The game mechanics have been simplified in the sequel, which is a plus, but maybe LucasArts overdid the simplification a bit. There are no more purchasable combos, just 3 levels per Force power; Lightsaber Combat, Force Grab, Force Lightning, Lightsaber Throw, Force Pulse, and Mind Trick. There is also the Force Fury mode which is just like the Rage of the Gods mode in God of War. There are also collectible lightsaber crystals, holocrons and a slew of achievements. On the face of it, all good, but the game is just too short to give you ample time to play with all of these things fully. And beyond two playthroughs, there really isn’t any reason to keep coming back.

The sound and graphics are both well done. I didn’t notice any glitches in either that detracted from my gameplay. The set pieces and environments are all well rendered, and the fight to save General Kota is truly epic in its proportions and finale. The facial models are also better done in the sequel – much better. I remember the faces of the characters in the first game putting me off, but they didn’t in the sequel. So that’s a plus.

The Force Unleashed II is a fun game to play. The problem is that it’s only fun for a grand total of 5 or 6 hours. Then it’s over. I simply cannot justify paying $65 dollars for a game that has no multiplayer component and only 6 hours of story. It is worth renting, but because it is so short, it won’t even last you the weekend. And the announced DLC doesn’t look like it’s going to add that much value to the game. I could be wrong, and I really hope that I am, but this game is no Dragon Age in terms of its scope. In the final analysis, I can only bring myself to give this game a 7.33 out of 10. And I can only recommend that you rent this game, as it is far too short to invest $65 dollars in.